Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was arrested yesterday for possession of a weapons at JFK airport in New York. The well-known fighter had a prohibited weapon in his pocket.
Adesanya, 33, was detained briefly after brass knuckles were found during a security check. The airport police took Adesanya into custody. The Nigerian-born fighter, who lives in Auckland, New Zealand, fought last weekend at UFC 281 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
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“Israel received a gift from a fan, which he put in his luggage,” Adesanya’s manager Tim Simpson of Paradigm Sports Management said in a press statement. “When it was found at the airport, Israel handed over the object and cooperated with the authorities. The case has been dismissed and he is on his way home.”
Brass or plastic knuckles are illegal in New York State. Carrying it is considered a crime in the state and is punishable by up to one year in prison and fines. Adesanya lost his middleweight title to challenger and longtime kickboxing rival Alex Pereira at UFC 281 by fifth-round TKO.
